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Halo: Combat Evolved: Difference between revisions
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{{Quote|Halo: Combat Evolved! Buy one! Heck, buy two! That's an order, soldier!|[[Avery Junior Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] upon completion of the [[halo: Combat Evolved Trial|''Halo: Combat Evolved'' demo]]}} | {{Quote|Halo: Combat Evolved! Buy one! Heck, buy two! That's an order, soldier!|[[Avery Junior Johnson|Sergeant Johnson]] upon completion of the [[halo: Combat Evolved Trial|''Halo: Combat Evolved'' demo]]}} | ||
'''''Halo: Combat Evolved''''' is a [[first-person shooter|first person shooter]] science-fiction video game | '''''Halo: Combat Evolved''''' is a [[first-person shooter|first person shooter]] science-fiction video game developed by [[Bungie|Bungie Studios]]. It is one of the most popular video games for the Xbox with eight million copies sold. Its sales are rivaled only by its sequels, ''[[Halo 2]]'' and ''[[Halo 3]]''. This game is considered a classic even though it was released in 2001. | ||
''Halo: Combat Evolved'' has been made available as an Xbox Original game title for Xbox 360 since December 4, 2007 for download on [[Xbox LIVE|Xbox Live Marketplace]] for 1200 Microsoft Points.<ref>[http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d8024d53084c/ '''Xbox Marketplace''': ''Halo: Combat Evolved'']</ref> The game was remastered as ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'' and was released on the original game's tenth anniversary on November 15, 2011. | ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' has been made available as an ''Xbox Original'' game title for Xbox 360 since December 4, 2007 for download on [[Xbox LIVE|Xbox Live Marketplace]] for 1200 Microsoft Points.<ref>[http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/games/media/66acd000-77fe-1000-9115-d8024d53084c/ '''Xbox Marketplace''': ''Halo: Combat Evolved'']</ref> It was also [[Halo PC|released for PC and Mac]]. The game was remastered as ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'' and was released on the original game's tenth anniversary on November 15, 2011. | ||
== Synopsis == | == Synopsis == | ||
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Before doing so, the two sabotage three generators needed to power Halo, which buys them enough time to locate Captain Keyes, now succumbed to the Flood, and steal his neural implants to operate the ''Autumn''. After battling his way through scattered and disorganized Covenant forces, the spreading Flood, and the Sentinels under direct command of 343 Guilty Spark, John-117 successfully overloads the ship's engine, and he and Cortana evacuate from Halo in a [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longsword]] before the ''Autumn''<nowiki />'s engine detonates and destroys Halo. The pair appear to be the only survivors, and John-117 realizes that they are simply beginning a harrowing battle. | Before doing so, the two sabotage three generators needed to power Halo, which buys them enough time to locate Captain Keyes, now succumbed to the Flood, and steal his neural implants to operate the ''Autumn''. After battling his way through scattered and disorganized Covenant forces, the spreading Flood, and the Sentinels under direct command of 343 Guilty Spark, John-117 successfully overloads the ship's engine, and he and Cortana evacuate from Halo in a [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longsword]] before the ''Autumn''<nowiki />'s engine detonates and destroys Halo. The pair appear to be the only survivors, and John-117 realizes that they are simply beginning a harrowing battle. | ||
{{Spoiler/end}} | {{Spoiler/end}} | ||
==Features== | ==Features== | ||
{{ | {{Featurelist|title=Characters| | ||
;Main characters | ;Main characters | ||
*[[John-117]] | *[[John-117]] | ||
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*[[Samuel N. Marcus]] | *[[Samuel N. Marcus]] | ||
*[[Thom Shepard]] | *[[Thom Shepard]] | ||
}} | |||
{{Featurelist|title=Technology| | |||
*[[Active camouflage]] | *[[Active camouflage]] | ||
*[[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|MJOLNIR Mk. V]] | *[[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V|MJOLNIR Mk. V]] | ||
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*[[Data crystal chip]] | *[[Data crystal chip]] | ||
*[[M4 field disk]] | *[[M4 field disk]] | ||
}} | |||
{{Featurelist|title=Vehicles| | |||
*[[GA-TL1 Longsword|GA-TL1 ''Longsword''-class Interceptor]] | *[[GA-TL1 Longsword|GA-TL1 ''Longsword''-class Interceptor]] | ||
*[[Type-28 boarding craft]] | *[[Type-28 boarding craft]] | ||
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*[[Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft|Type-26 Banshee]] | *[[Type-26 Ground Support Aircraft|Type-26 Banshee]] | ||
*[[Type-32 Rapid Assault Vehicle|Type-32 Ghost]] | *[[Type-32 Rapid Assault Vehicle|Type-32 Ghost]] | ||
}} | |||
{{Featurelist|title=Weapons| | |||
*[[MA5B Individual Combat Weapon System|MA5B assault rifle]] | *[[MA5B Individual Combat Weapon System|MA5B assault rifle]] | ||
*[[M41 Surface-to-Surface Rocket Medium Anti-Vehicle/Assault Weapon|M41 rocket launcher]] | *[[M41 Surface-to-Surface Rocket Medium Anti-Vehicle/Assault Weapon|M41 rocket launcher]] | ||
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*[[Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher|Type-33 Needler]] | *[[Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher|Type-33 Needler]] | ||
*[[Type-33 Light Anti-Armor Weapon|Type-33 Fuel Rod Gun]] | *[[Type-33 Light Anti-Armor Weapon|Type-33 Fuel Rod Gun]] | ||
}} | |||
== Gameplay == | |||
''Halo: Combat Evolved''<nowiki />'s gameplay was characterized by several features which set it apart from less acclaimed first-person shooter games of its time. | |||
* '''Storyline execution:''' ''Halo: Combat Evolved''<nowiki />'s gameplay and storyline are tightly interwoven, delivered in a convincing manner consistent with the flow of the game. | |||
* '''Vehicular incorporation:''' ''Halo: Combat Evolved''<nowiki />'s includes the option for players to control multiple land and air based vehicles in third-person view. This vantage brings a welcomed sense of immersion and enhances specific points of gameplay, again setting Halo apart from contemporary first person shooters. | |||
* '''Weapons system:''' ''Halo: Combat Evolved''<nowiki />'s new weapons system is unique in two major respects. The first is only allowing players to carry two weapons at a time, thus forcing the player to make trade-offs as they progress throughout the game. The second is a single, separate button for throwing grenades, making them much more significant in both campaign and multiplayer games. | |||
* '''Artificial intelligence:''' ''Halo: Combat Evolved''<nowiki />'s AI is quite sophisticated for its era. With a brand new advanced AI system, actions performed by the AI such as panicking after the death of a superior, diving out of the way of an oncoming vehicle, or taking cover from explosives and suppressive fire, helped ''Halo'' stand out from the rest of the first-person shooters being released at the time. | |||
Movement in ''Halo'' is similar to other first-person shooters, allowing the player to move forwards, backwards, and strafe left and right (including diagonally) independently of their aim. On the Xbox, moving and aiming are normally separated between the two analogue sticks, and on the [[Halo PC|PC]], between the keyboard and the mouse. ''Halo'' also allows the player to crouch and jump, although jumping from a high ledge will often result in death, or at least major fall damage. Damage from falling can be reduced or negated entirely with a well-timed crouch right as one lands. Additionally, if the player [[crouch Jumping|crouches at the peak of his jump]], he will be able to land on something slightly taller than if he were to jump without crouching. Also, if the player is jumping from a cliff he can make sure he is touching the wall periodically while he is falling. This will count as if he is touching floor, and every time the player touches the wall, the damage counter goes to zero (there is no visible damage counter during gameplay). | |||
=== Environment === | |||
''Halo: Combat Evolved'' features a wide variety of environments including human and Covenant star ships, ancient buildings on [[Installation 04|Halo]] itself, and expansive outdoor climates. The first level, ''Pillar of Autumn'', is fought entirely on the human star ship of the same name. The next level, ''Halo'', takes place in a temperate highland climate with open-air Forerunner structures scattered about. This level also contains the famous "Blue Beam Towers". ''Truth and Reconciliation'' begins in a rocky desert, but the setting changes to the titular Covenant cruiser about one-third of the way through. ''The Silent Cartographer'' occurs on a tropical island, with substantial combat both outdoors and inside futuristic Forerunner installations. ''Assault on the Control Room'' takes place in a snowy, icy area of towering cliffs and underground tunnels as well as high-tech suspension bridges and oft-repeated Forerunner structures built into and through cliff walls. | |||
''343 Guilty Spark'' is a significant departure from these majestic environments, with combat in gloomy, exotic swamps and equally gloomy underground complexes that host the player's introduction to the Flood. The player is then teleported to the second of three entirely indoor levels, ''The Library'', encountering repetitive, forbidding hallways and massive elevators. Master Chief returns to the snowy climate of Assault on the Control Room for ''Two Betrayals'', visiting almost no new areas but, interestingly, traveling in the opposite direction. ''Keyes'' occurs in the same Covenant ship from ''Truth and Reconciliation'', albeit now heavily damaged, but this time the Flood are present in huge numbers. Finally, ''The Maw'' is set on the Pillar of Autumn with three major differences: the presence of the Flood, the heavy structural damage, and access to the Engineering section and service corridors of the ship, which were previously off-limits. In total, six of the ten levels feature a substantial amount of combat outdoors. | |||
=== Player damage system === | |||
In ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', the player has a limited, non-regenerating [[health]], which can be fully restored by picking up [[health pack]]s. Running completely out of health will result in death, but having lower health does not impede player actions. A player's health can be reduced only if his shields have been depleted. If the player's health is at minimal levels they will faintly hear John-117's heartbeat. | |||
Serving as the second layer of protection is the shielding system specially built for the [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|MJOLNIR Mk. V armor]]. The shield will decrease in strength every time it is hit by a weapon and will fail after taking too many hits. The amount of shield drain depends on the attacker's weapon but will quickly regenerate if it is not hit for a brief period of time. The shield represents a marked departure from most first-person shooters, in which one's health bar is basically augmented by picking up "armor". | |||
=== Campaign === | |||
The campaign in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' can be played by single-player or cooperatively. In [[cooperative play]], the second player takes control of an identical copy of the Master Chief. This second player, however, will not appear in any cutscene in the game. | |||
The game's campaign consists of ten levels: | |||
#[[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|The Pillar of Autumn]] - "Escape intact as Covenant forces board your ship." | |||
#[[Halo (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|Halo]] - "Seek out surviving Marines and help them fight the Covenant." | |||
#[[The Truth and Reconciliation]] - "Board a Covenant ship in an attempt to rescue Captain Keyes." | |||
#[[The Silent Cartographer]] - "Search for the map room that will lead you to the secrets of Halo." | |||
#[[Assault on the Control Room]] - "Defend the Control Room against wave after wave of Covenant troops." | |||
#[[343 Guilty Spark (level)|343 Guilty Spark]] - "Creep through a swamp to meet the only enemy the Covenant fear." | |||
#[[The Library]] - "Fight your way through an ancient security facility in search of the Index." | |||
#[[Two Betrayals]] - "Re-activate the weapon at the heart of Halo... and learn the truth." | |||
#[[Keyes]] - "Stage a one-cyborg assault on a Covenant ship and bring back the Captain." | |||
#[[The Maw]] - "Destroy Halo before Halo destroys all life in the galaxy." | |||
=== Multiplayer === | |||
Up to four players can play together using the same-console splitscreen mode. It is also possible for up to 16 players to play together in one ''Halo'' game over a [[wikipedia:LAN|local area network]], using Xbox and/or Xbox 360 consoles that have been connected through an [[wikipedia:ethernet|ethernet]] hub, or via Xbox Connect. The game's seamless support for this type of play, and a few large maps that can accommodate up to 16 combatants, is a first for console games. Since the game was released before the launch of Xbox Live, mainstream online play was not available for this title. | |||
A total of 13 multiplayer maps are available: | |||
*[[Battle Creek]] | |||
*[[Sidewinder]] | |||
*[[Damnation]] | |||
*[[Rat Race]] | |||
*[[Prisoner]] | |||
*[[Hang 'Em High]] | |||
*[[Chill Out]] | |||
*[[Derelict]] | |||
*[[Boarding Action]] | |||
*[[Chiron TL-34]] | |||
*[[Blood Gulch]] | |||
*[[Wizard]] | |||
*[[Longest]] | |||
== Development == | == Development == | ||
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[[File:Halo 072199.jpg|thumb|200px|left|The first official screenshot of Halo.]] | [[File:Halo 072199.jpg|thumb|200px|left|The first official screenshot of Halo.]] | ||
[[File:Oldhalo.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The old heads-up display and a Halo that has fallen under disrepair. This design was eventually [[Installation 04B|incorporated]] into [[Halo 3]].]] | [[File:Oldhalo.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The old heads-up display and a Halo that has fallen under disrepair. This design was eventually [[Installation 04B|incorporated]] into [[Halo 3]].]] | ||
On July 21, 1999, during the Macworld Conference & Expo, Steve Jobs announced that ''Halo'' would be released for Mac OS and Windows simultaneously.<ref>[http://pc.ign.com/articles/068/068975p1.html | On July 21, 1999, during the Macworld Conference & Expo, Steve Jobs announced that ''Halo'' would be released for Mac OS and Windows simultaneously.<ref>[http://pc.ign.com/articles/068/068975p1.html '''IGN''': ''Heavenly "Halo"'']</ref> Before this public announcement, game industry journalists under a non-disclosure agreement had previewed the game in a private showing during [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3 1999]], and were reportedly amazed.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.org/pressscans/display.html?scan=pcgamerusoct99 '''PC Gamer''': ''Your first look at... "Halo"'']</ref> Bungie Studios later stated an even earlier development build of the game centered on [[real-time strategy]] and was "basically ''[[Myth]]'' in a sci-fi universe."<ref>[http://bungie.net/Inside/CustomPage.aspx?section=History&subsection=Main&page=6 '''Bungie.net''': ''Inside Bungie: History'']</ref> | ||
At [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3 2000]], the first trailer of ''Halo'' was well-received.<ref>[http://www.bluesnews.com/a/38 '''Blue's News''': ''Blue's News Best of E3 2000'']</ref> The version shown there differed greatly from the one exhibited previously, marking the first major overhaul in the game's development.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.org/faq/media.html '''halo.bungie.org''': ''Frequently Asked Questions about "Halo"'']</ref> At this point, ''Halo'' was a third-person action game, in which a transport starship crashlands on a mysterious ring world that orbits a star. Early versions of Covenant aliens appear in great numbers and loot what they can, and war erupts between them and the humans. Unable to match the technologically advanced alien race, the humans on the ring world resort to guerrilla warfare.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.org/pressscans/display.html?scan=cgw1199 '''Computer Gaming World''': ''Games That Will Change Gaming'']</ref>This version of the game featured ''Halo''-specific fauna, which were later dropped because of design difficulties and the creatures' "detract from the surprise, drama and impact of the Flood."<ref>[http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?story=prexboxhistory040904 '''Bungie.net''': ''One Million Years B.X. (Before Xbox)'']</ref> | |||
[[Microsoft]] announced on June 19, 2000 that it had acquired Bungie Studios.<ref>[http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2000/Jun00/BungiePR.mspx '''Microsoft''': ''Microsoft to Acquire Bungie Software'']</ref> ''Halo'' became an exclusive game for Microsoft's [[Xbox]], and Bungie Studios rewrote the game's engine, heavily altering its presentation and turning it into a [[first-person shooter]].<ref>[http://www.gamecritics.com/feature/preview/halo_xbox/page01.php '''GameCritics''': ''"Halo" (Xbox) Preview'']</ref> Originally a key element, the game's online multiplayer component was dropped because [[Xbox Live]] would be unfinished at the time of ''Halo''<nowiki />'s release. While a playable demonstration of the game at Gamestock 2001 was well-received,<ref>[http://xbox.ign.com/articles/098/098271p1.html '''IGN''': ''Playable "Halo" at GameStock'']</ref> critics had mixed reactions to its exhibition at E3 2001.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.org/pressscans/display.html?scan=nextgen.0501 '''halo.bungie.org''': ''"Next Generation Magazine"'']</ref><ref>[http://www.firingsquad.com/features/2001e3part1/ '''FiringSquad''': ''2001 E3 Part 1''']</ref><ref>[http://halo.bungie.org/pressscans/display.html?scan=gamepro.0501 '''halo.bungie.org''': ''"GamePro"'']</ref> The game was released in North America simultaneously with the Xbox, on November 15, 2001; the "Combat Evolved" subtitle was an addition by marketers at Microsoft, who felt that ''Halo'' alone was not a descriptive enough title to compete with other military-themed games.<ref>'''Edge''': ''A Space Odyssey'' (''"Quote"'' '''Jaime Griesemer''': At the time, Microsoft marketing thought ''Halo'' was not a good name for a videogame brand. It wasn't descriptive like all the military games we were competing with. We told them ''Halo'' was the name. The compromise was they could add a subtitle. Everyone at Bungie hated it. But it turned out to be a very sticky label and has now entered the gaming lexicon… so I guess in hindsight it was a good compromise. But the real name of the game is just ''Halo''.)</ref> | |||
=== Audio === | === Audio === | ||
[[File:HaloSoundtrackCover.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Cover Art]] | [[File:HaloSoundtrackCover.jpg|200px|right|thumb|Cover Art]] | ||
''Halo''<nowiki />'s soundtrack was created by [[Bungie Studios]]' audio director, [[Martin O'Donnell]], and received a large amount of praise from many critics. Martin O'Donnell has stated that his goal was to provide "a feeling of importance, weight, and sense of the 'ancient'."<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070301150741/http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo/themakers3.htm | ''Halo''<nowiki />'s soundtrack was created by [[Bungie Studios]]' audio director, [[Martin O'Donnell]], and received a large amount of praise from many critics. Martin O'Donnell has stated that his goal was to provide "a feeling of importance, weight, and sense of the 'ancient'."<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20070301150741/http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo/themakers3.htm '''Xbox.com''': ''Just the Right Sense of Ancient'']</ref> He designed the music so that it "could be dissembled and remixed in such a way that would give [him] multiple, interchangeable loops that could be randomly recombined in order to keep the piece interesting as well as a variable length". Development involved the creation of "alternative middle sections that could be transitioned to if the game called for such a change (i.e. less or more intense)."<ref>[http://www.music4games.net/Features_Display.aspx?id=24 '''Music4Games''': ''The Use and Effectiveness of Audio in "Halo": Game Music Evolved'']</ref> | ||
Martin O'Donnell has remarked that he "sat with the level designers and 'spotted' the level as though it was a movie, with the knowledge that the music would have to be malleable rather than static... [T]he level designer would tell me what he hoped a player would feel at certain points or after accomplishing certain tasks". Based on this information, O'Donnell would "go back and develop appropriate music cues, then have the designer script the cues into the level, and then we'd play through it to see if it worked as desired."<ref>[http://www.music4games.net/Features_Display.aspx?id=24 | Martin O'Donnell has remarked that he "sat with the level designers and 'spotted' the level as though it was a movie, with the knowledge that the music would have to be malleable rather than static... [T]he level designer would tell me what he hoped a player would feel at certain points or after accomplishing certain tasks". Based on this information, O'Donnell would "go back and develop appropriate music cues, then have the designer script the cues into the level, and then we'd play through it to see if it worked as desired."<ref>[http://www.music4games.net/Features_Display.aspx?id=24 '''Music4Games''': ''The Use and Effectiveness of Audio in Halo: Game Music Evolved'']</ref> He explained that the use of music in ''Halo'' is sparse because he believes that "[music] is best used in a game to quicken the emotional state of the player and it works best when used least", and that "[if] music is constantly playing it tends to become sonic wallpaper and loses its impact when it is needed to truly enhance some dramatic component of game play."<ref>[http://halo.bungie.org/misc/gdc.2002.music/ '''halo.bungie.org''': ''Producing Audio for "Halo"'']</ref> | ||
==== Halo: Original Soundtrack ==== | ==== Halo: Original Soundtrack ==== | ||
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==Original Halo team== | ==Original Halo team== | ||
{{Scroll box | {{Scroll box | ||
| | |{{col-begin}} | ||
{{col-2}} | {{col-2}} | ||
;Project Lead | ;Project Lead | ||
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File:Halo_Combat_Evolved_(Xbox)_Platinum_Hits_box_art.JPG|The "Platinum Hits" cover for the game. | File:Halo_Combat_Evolved_(Xbox)_Platinum_Hits_box_art.JPG|The "Platinum Hits" cover for the game. | ||
File:Halo-combat-evolved.jpg|A promotional image for the game. | File:Halo-combat-evolved.jpg|A promotional image for the game. | ||
</gallery> | </gallery> | ||
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== External links == | == External links == | ||
*[http://www.bungie.net/Projects/Halo/default.aspx ''Official project page'' on '''Bungie.net'''] | *[http://www.bungie.net/Projects/Halo/default.aspx ''Official project page'' on '''Bungie.net'''] | ||
*[http:// | *[http://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/games/halocombatevolved#video_1 ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' on '''Halo Waypoint'''] | ||
{{Halo Games}} | {{Halo Games}} | ||